Joliet Herald-News
January 14, 2007
YORKVILLE -- The state of Illinois has set an additional public
hearing on the proposed Prairie Parkway, and extended the period for
pubic comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
project between Interstates 80 and 88.
"People now have more time to study
the impacts of the proposed freeway and compare it to the benefits of
improving the existing highway network in Kane, Kendall and Grundy
counties," said Lenore Beyer-Clow of Openlands, one of the
organizations that sought the new hearing because IDOT gave inadequate
notice of earlier hearings in December.
The new hearing will be 5:30-8 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Old Kendall County
Courthouse, 110 W. Madison St. Written comments will be accepted until
Feb. 28.
When IDOT published the original notice of hearing, it failed to meet
federal requirements and did not specify that the hearings were seeking
comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement -- and that
written comments could be submitted after the hearing.
The Environmental Impact Statement and the public hearing and comment
period are required before IDOT can spend federal tax dollars on the
project.
Two proposed routes are being considered, both beginning at I-88 at
Kaneville and running south between Yorkville and Plano. The routes
under consideration then split, with one proposal heading southeast to
I-80 at Minooka and the other straight south to I-80 west of Morris.
Public comments should be sent to: Diane O'Keefe, Regional Engineer,
Illinois Department of Transportation, 700 E. Norris Drive, Ottawa, IL
61350.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available online at
www.dot.state.il.us/desenv/pp_deis/pp_deis.html -- and at public
libraries throughout the Kane, Kendall and Grundy county area.